There’s nothing like South By Southwest. Music bleeding from every wall, forming the ultimate live mixed tape of every musical style that will try, and probably fail, to live up to any sort of commercial expectation. Food- BBQ ribs, pork, brisket, sausage- forming the ultimate gastro mixed tape of authentic American tastes that will try, and probably fail, to keep you out of a shoddy port-o-poddy out back at Stubb’s. Booze- Shiner, Lone Star, Dixie, and whatever other alcoholic combo floats your proverbial boat that will form the ultimate fuel to take in said music and BBQ while trying, and probably failing, to avoid the inevitable hangover, barf session, exhaustion collapse. Throw in the elements of St Patrick’s Day, and the first weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament, and you’ve got a full plate of ingredients that will alternately challenge and enhance one’s enjoyment of all of the action.
Mad props to the organizers of SXSW for developing their website throughout the years to accommodate new technology. I have assembled my ideal schedule on their website, which you can then publish and share with your friends. Add a dash of Twitter and a pinch of Foursquare, and the technology of these social networking methods is actually making the festival more enjoyable as opposed to just creating noise. I freely admit that in putting together this schedule, I am operating in a vacuum, not accounting for three huge factors- the fact that inebriation is not only a possibility but key to survival, geography (I’m not pulling up google maps to see how far Jaime’s is from Beauty Bar), and the NCAAs, where a good upset in the making can derail just about any jaunt across town to see your favorite buzz band. All things being equal, here’s my plan:
Wednesday, March 17
St Patrick’s Day. In Austin. During SXSW. Whoa. Let’s start young and work our way up. My evening begins at Submerged with Kitten, a new band headed by 15 year old rock songstress Chloe Chaidez. I saw her first band when she was about 12 (!) at a middle school in Pasadena as a favor and was amazed even then that this girl’s potential. The talent was raw, to be sure, but then again so was the school’s PA system. If you listen to the tracks on the band’s myspace you can hear that she’s come a long way already. Not sure where the story will end up but the journey is damn intriguing. The ultimate new school to old school transition will then take me to Stubb’s for Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings. Sharon stole an early slot at Bonnaroo a couple years ago, and the combo of hearing some great soul music at my favorite Austin venue is too good to pass up. 90% chance I will be balancing a plate of ribs with a smaller plate of pecan pie on top of a can of Shiner Bock during this performance. From there a few shows interest me- Born Ruffians at The Phoenix, Fanfarlo at the Galaxy Room- but who am I kidding? I’m staying at Stubb’s to see the new Broken Bells collab. Danger Mouse is a dude that just intrigues me. From The Grey Album, you just knew this guy was on to something.
From there, I picture myself stumbling over to Emo’s for another collaboration, Distant Relatives. This one features Nas and Damian Marley. From that point in the evening on, all bets are off- I could equally picture myself eating pizza on 6th Street, going to see Flying Lotus at The Phoenix, or passing out in a puddle of my own dirt and drool. There is no point in utilizing a schedule after midnight.
Thursday, March 18
The first day of the NCAAs. I feel like I’m going to skip any daytime showcases and parties and become a shut-in at my hotel room watching games. Maybe a bar with a decent TV will be my destination. At some point I need to head over to the convention hall for Flatstock (trust me, it’s worth it). By 9:30 I should be ready to return to the band weasel world, and I’ll start with a double-dose of talented black ladies whose names begin with two consonants- Nigerian Nneka at the Day Stage Cafe at 9:30, then to Latitude 30 at 10:30 for VV Brown. From there it’s back to the scene of last night’s crimes at Stubb’s for Band Of Horses, one of those bands I’ve admired for a while but never seen live. Man Man at something called the Billboard Bungalow or Dr Dog at the Austin Convention Center is a distinct possibility, but more likely is one of two must-see bands playing at the festival- The xx at the Mohawk Patio. Their album has been in constant rotation for me recently, but I’ll be curious to see if they can translate the vibe to the live stage.
Friday, March 19
At this point in the week, keeping a schedule has become less of a priority, replaced by mere survival. It’s hard to keep the energy up to scamper all over town to see random baby bands, and in truth the best bet is to park your ass at a particular venue with a strong line up and stay there throughout the night. Stubb’s or La Zona Rosa are always safe bets. If a shot of adrenaline runs through me, I envision seeing some combination of the following shows: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears at 8PM, Austin Music Hall; the second must-see band in Austin, Local Natives at 9PM, Galaxy Room; She & Him (their music does little for me, but ohhh, Zooey…) 10PM @ Lustre Pearl; Deer Tick, 11PM @ Red Eyed Fly; The Cool Kids , 11:30PM @ Mohawk Patio; Rye Rye, 12AM @ Beauty Bar. Or the opportunity to see a band called Gay Witch Abortion at the Soho Lounge may prove to be irresistible. This could be my only chance.
Saturday, March 20
To be completely honest, looking at Saturday’s schedule, there’s not much there that will keep me in town. By Saturday I usually get that feeling you have when you’re leaving Las Vegas, the gut-punch reality that you just lost all your money over a weekend you barely remember. The dread isn’t as severe after a long weekend in Austin, but your body is officially offended by all of the intoxicants and fatty meats you have been filling it with. So while my eyes are seeing Matt Pond PA, Major Lazer, No Age etc, my brain is fantasizing about a home cooked meal, a glass of ice water, and my own bed at this point.
Rock on.
